Novak Djokovic joins elite club alongside Roger Federer and Serena Williams with latest Wimbledon win
Novak Djokovic reached yet another milestone as he continued his quest for an eighth Wimbledon title.
Victory for the Serbian over Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the second round meant he became only the third player in history, along with Roger Federer and Serena Williams, to clock up 350 match wins at grand slams.
The 23-time major champion, bidding to equal Federer’s record of eight titles in SW19, was never at full throttle against world number 70 Thompson.
He broke serve just twice but still registered a relatively routine 6-3 7-6 (4) 7-5 victory, extending his record Centre Court winning streak to 41 matches – his last defeat coming to Andy Murray in the 2013 final.
Djokovic, also chasing the calendar grand slam and bidding to become Wimbledon’s oldest men’s singles champion at 36, said: “Centre Court has been the most special court for our tennis history. I truly try to marvel and enjoy every moment I spend on the court.
“It’s a huge privilege at this stage of my career when I’m trying to push the young guns.
We have a very special, romantic relationship, me and this court.”
https://twitter.com/Wimbledon/status/1676662978488201223
Djokovic will face either Tomas Martin Etcheverry or former grand slam winner Stan Wawrinka in round three.
Federer, who retired last year and visited Wimbledon on Tuesday, has no doubt his mark is about to be equalled by Djokovic.
He told CNN: “I think he’s the big, big favourite. Honestly, I think it’s great for him. I had my moments.
“For me, having won my eighth or my fifth in a row or whatever it may be, that was my moment.
“So if somebody equals that or passes that, this is their thing, their moment.”
Ninth seed Taylor Fritz finally won his first-round match, two days after it started.
Bad light, and then Tuesday’s rain, meant the American and Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann resumed on Wednesday at 3-2 in the fifth set, and Fritz took it 6-4 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-3.
Former world number three Dominic Thiem was a set up on Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas when the rain forced them off at lunchtime on Tuesday.
But in a late evening thriller on Court Two, Tsitsipas won a deciding match tie-break at 6-6 in the fifth set to set up a second-round meeting with Andy Murray.
American Frances Tiafoe, seeded 10, was a straight-sets winner over Wu Yibing of China.
But while they are through to round two and Djokovic is already safely in round three, spare a thought for Alexander Zverev, the 19th seed who is still yet to play his first-round match against Gijs Brouwer.
Wimbledon results
Wimbledon results on Wednesday, the third day of the 2023 tournament at the All England Club (x denotes seeding; Players representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing under the name or flag of their countries).
Men
1st rd
Alexandre Muller (FRA) bt Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
Frances Tiafoe (USA x10) bt Wu Yibing (CHN) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4
Dominic Stricker (SUI) bt Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5
Ilya Ivashka bt Federico Coria (ARG) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-0
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x21) bt Sho Shimabukuro (JPN) 6-1, 6-2, 6-1
Holger Rune (DEN x6) bt George Loffhagen (GBR) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-2
Daniil Medvedev (x3) bt Arthur Fery (GBR) 7-5, 6-4, 6-3
Adrian Mannarino (FRA) bt Alexander Shevchenko 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
Marcos Giron (USA) bt Hugo Dellien (BOL) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-4
Márton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Tallon Griekspoor (NED x28) 6-4, 6-2, 6-4
Francisco Cerundolo (ARG x18) bt Nuno Borges (POR) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
Jirí Lehecka (CZE) bt Sebastian Ofner (AUT) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Milos Raonic (CAN) bt Dennis Novak (AUT) 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1
Tommy Paul (USA x16) bt Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN) 7-5, 6-3, 6-1
Christopher Eubanks (USA) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3
Jiri Vesely (CZE) bt Sebastian Korda (USA x22) 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Ben Shelton (USA x32) bt Taro Daniel (JPN) 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3
Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x5) bt Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (10/8)
Taylor Fritz (USA x9) bt Yannick Hanfmann (GER) 6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Guido Pella (ARG) bt Borna Coric (CRO x13) 6-3, 7-5, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1
Harold Mayot (FRA) bt Benjamin Bonzi (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Roman Safiullin bt Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x20) 2-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-5
Denis Shapovalov (CAN x26) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
Grégoire Barrère (FRA) bt Lloyd Harris (RSA) 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-3
2nd rd
Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5
Women
1st rd
Danielle Collins (USA) bt Julia Grabher (AUT) 6-4, 6-4
Elisabetta Cocciaretto (ITA) bt Camila Osorio (COL) 6-3, 6-4
Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Rebecca Peterson (SWE) 6-2, 6-3
Donna Vekic (CRO x20) bt Zhang Shuai (CHN) 6-2, 6-3
Anett Kontaveit (EST) bt Lucrezia Stefanini (ITA) 6-4, 6-4
Bai Zhuoxuan (CHN) bt Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 7-6 (7/0), 6-1
Natalija Stevanovic (SRB) bt Karolina Pliskova (CZE x18) 6-2, 6-3
Tamara Korpatsch (GER) bt Carol Zhao (CAN) 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA x13) bt Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) bt Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 6-3, 6-4
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x17) bt Greet Minnen (BEL) 6-1, 6-2
Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) bt Bernarda Pera (USA x27) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-3
Katie Boulter (GBR) bt Daria Saville (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2
Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-2, 6-2
Marta Kostyuk (UKR) bt Maria Sakkari (GRE x8) 0-6, 7-5, 6-2
Paula Badosa (ESP) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-3, 6-3
Madison Keys (USA x25) bt Sonay Kartal (GBR) 6-0, 6-3
Anastasia Potapova (x22) bt Céline Naef (SUI) 6-3, 6-3
Kaja Juvan (SLO) bt Margarita Gasparyan 6-0, 6-3
Mirra Andreeva bt Wang Xiyu (CHN) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Barbora Krejcíková (CZE x10) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-2, 7-5
Madison Brengle (USA) bt Sara Errani (ITA) 6-3, 6-1
Ekaterina Alexandrova (x21) bt Emma Navarro (USA) 6-4, 6-3
Varvara Gracheva (FRA) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-2, 6-4
2nd rd
Iga Swiatek (POL x1) bt Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 6-2, 6-0
Daria Kasatkina (x11) bt Jodie Burrage (GBR) 6-0, 6-2
